Novelty device.



E. C. SWINNERTON. NOVELTY DEVIGB.

, APPLICATION FILED mum. 1914.

1,697,89 1 Patented May 26, 1914.

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ELIZABETH C. SWINNERTON, OF LANCASTER, OHIO.

NOVELTY Dawes.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lIay 26, 1914:,

Application filed March 4, 1914. Serial No. 822,383.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIZABETH G'SWIN- NERTON, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Lancaster, in the county of F airfield and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in NoveltyDevices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to novelty devices, and the object thereof is toprovide a simple, attractive and educational toy wherein a plurality ofcolored spools or blocks are so arranged upon wire strands as torepresent, when properly assembled, the stripes of the American flag, amusic box, of appropriate design, being disposed in such relation tosaid wire strands as to represent the field or star portion of the flag,such arrangement, as pointed out hereinafter, providing a pleasing,amusing, and interchangeable toy particularly appropriate as anamusement device for babies and children.

As a further object, the invention aims to provide a toy wherein movablespools or blocks are arranged in series, said series preferablyalternating in color, and each series being mounted upon an individualwire strand, which strand, is bent intermediate its ends to provide apair of parallel spaced extensions upon either of which said blocks maybe shifted or arranged to thereby provide for representation of the flagupon either side of the toy.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate partsof my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters ineach of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toyconstructed in accordance with the present in vention; Fig. 2 is a topplan view; Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view of one of the spools, one ofthe wire extensions being shown in section; and Fig. 4: is an end viewof one of the wire strands illustrating the arrangement of the spoolsthereupon.

Before proceeding with the description of the drawings, I desire to callparticular attention to the fact that while I have evolved my inventionas representing an American flag, the same may be, by slightly modifyingthe arrangement of the wire strand, made to represent flags of variousnations.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates a suitablestaif, which,

if desired, may be provided with an appropriate inscriptionfor instanceOur babys flag. Attached in any suitable manner to the said staff 1 at apoint adjacent the top thereof is a music box designated 2, the oppositefaces of said box being appropriately colored or delineated to representthe field or star portion of the American flag. A handle 3 projects fromone of the lateral faces of the said box 2, the turning of which isadapted to operate any suitable mechanism contained within the box toprovide for the playing of an appropriate tune such as The Star SpangledBanner or America? Arranged in parallel spaced relation, and to extendin a substantially horizontal plane, are a plurality of wire strands 4,preferably thirteen in number, said strands being arranged in suchrelation to the staff and box as to represent or indicate with thelatter, the American flag. Each wire strand is bent at a pointintermediate its end as indicated at 5 or in other words substantiallyU- shaped, the respective terminals of each strand being connected inany suitable manner to either the music box 2 or the staif 1 as isclearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Mounted forsliding movement upon the said strand 4 are a plurality of spools orblock members 6, each strand having a series of the said spoolsthereupon, the series of one strand being colored differently from theseries of blocks upon the strand next adjacent thereto. The colors, arepreferably red and white, which coloring, as is obvious provides for therepresentation, with the colored music box 2, for the representation ofthe American flag.

If desired, the toy or device may serve as a computing apparatus, theshifting of the spools upon the respective strands adding greatly, ineither adding, subtracting or otherwise calculating in a manner old inthe art. The said spools, when all of the spools of the several seriesare shifted, may be so arranged as to represent the American flag uponeither side of the device, as the respective extensions of the severalstrands are connected by the bent portion 5 of each.

The device, by reason of the novel arrangement of the elementsconstituting it, tend, when handled or played with by babies or veryyoung children, to impress upon them, first, the beauty of the Americanflag, and second, appropriate songs, the tunes of which may be soundedby the operation of the music box 2 forming a part of the de- VlCe.

From the above, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it isapparent that the device is both pleasing and attractive in appearance;instructive and educational in its nature; and amusing to babies andvery young children by reason of the bright colors and movable partsabove noted.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention,illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, asthe preferred embodiment, is the most eflicient and practical; yetrealizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my devicewill necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that Various minorchanges in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of partsmay be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of theadvantages of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a novelty device, the combination, of a music box, a stafi, and aplurality of wire strands attached to said music box and staff, saidwire strands and music box being arranged in such relation as torepresent a flag, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a novelty device, the combination, of a music box, the oppositefaces of which are designed to represent the field of the American flag,a staff, and a plurality of wire strands attached to said music box andstafi, said strands being arranged in parallel spaced relation torepresent the stripes of the American flag, as and for the purpose setforth.

3. In a novelty device, the combination, of a music box, a staff, aplurality of wire strands attached to said music box and staff, saidwire strands and music box being arranged in such relation as torepresent a flag, and a plurality of differently colored blocks arrangedin series upon the said wire strands, said blocks being shiftable uponsaid strands, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a novelty device, the combination, of a music box, the oppositefaces of which are designed to represent the field portion of theAmerican flag, a staff, a plurality of wire strands attached to saidmusic box and stafi, said wire strands being bent intermediate theirends to provide a pair of parallel extensions, said wire strands andmusic box being arranged in such relation as to represent the stars andstripes of the American flag, and a plurality of differently coloredspools arranged in series, one series being upon each of the wirestrands, the said series being movable from one to the other of the saidextensions of each strand, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELIZABETH G. SIVINNERTON.

WVitnesses:

JAMES T. PIOKERING, KATHARINE M. SwINNEnToN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

